


Stay

by redcameleon



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, SSFF, SasuSaku - Freeform, ssfanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26356201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redcameleon/pseuds/redcameleon
Summary: Just when she thinks everything is starting to be normal again, Sasuke decides to leave again. Somehow everything would always come back to this.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Kudos: 19
Collections: SSMonth 2014





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Old submission for SSMonth 2014 Day 30. Prompt: It All Comes Back to This.  
> I also slipped in lyrics from the song Stay by Rihanna.

If she has to describe her feelings right now, it would be tired. That week-long mission has taken its toll on Sakura. She is not hurt by any means, but she is just tired. She was requested by the Fifth Hokage to go to a small village and aid the injured victims of the war.

The war had come to a close three months ago but there are still many more injured that need attention. And being the skillful medic she is, her help is needed. Badly.

She walks through the village’s gates in the middle of the night. Previously debating on whether she should spend the night in an inn and return to Konoha the following morning or to just get home earlier, she settles for the latter. There’s nothing better than sleeping in your own bed.

Just as she is passing a familiar road, she sees a silhouette of a person. She finds it odd that there is still someone wandering in the village this late at night. She focuses her tired eyes on the outline of the person and soon realizes it is Sasuke. _What’s he doing here?_ She thinks to herself.

His figure becomes clearer as she approaches him. She does not miss the sight of his backpack over his shoulders. Then she realizes, he is leaving, _again_.

She immediately stops walking. This is the last thing she wants to see.

“Sasuke-kun.”

“Sakura.” He cannot stop himself from smirking. Of all the people in the world to find him, it is always her.

“You’re leaving.” Again. She is not asking him a question.

“Aa.”

“Why?” He does not speak for a long time. They stand there in silence, the only sound that occupy them is the leaves rustling, marking the beginning of autumn. The wind blows their faces with such tenderness. Finally, after a long pause, he speaks.

“I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?” She can’t believe he is trying to leave again. She is not going to let him leave this time. She has to encourage him to stay. She cannot even think of living in this village without him again.

_Not really sure how to feel about it.  
Something in the way you move  
Makes me feel like I can’t live without you.  
It takes me all the way.  
I want you to stay_

Sasuke tries to attend his gaze anywhere besides her eyes because he knows her eyes will display so much emotion for him to bear. Disappointment, sadness, hurt, loss. Everything.

“I have nothing left here.”

_It’s not much of a life you’re living  
It’s not just something you take it’s given_

Upon arriving back at the village, Sasuke was struggling to keep himself together. With all the villagers staring at him in a distrusting manner, he hated every minute of it. But he didn’t care, because they were the least important thing in his mind. All he cared about was his long deceased family. All he ever wanted was justice for his clan and for his beloved brother’s struggles and sacrifices. He wanted to punish the elders so badly for making Itachi go through all those hardships.

When he passed by the quiet Uchiha district, it didn’t help to placate his thoughts. There was nothing left there. Nothing. Everything was destroyed during Pain’s attack. All he could see was the Uchiha emblems on pieces of rubble that used to line the compound.

All traces of the almighty Uchiha clan was gone, except for his very existence.

How could he possibly stay? There was just too much history between him and Konoha that he finally decided this was no longer his home. He needed a fresh start somewhere else.

Sakura desperately tries to hold back her tears, which she knows is failing miserably. Just when she thinks everything is starting to be normal again, this happens. Things somehow manage to come back to this.

“But you have us! Team 7! We are your family. Don’t _we_ matter?” She gestures to herself. He does not respond. His eyes are still glued to the ground as if it is the most interesting thing in the world to see.

“You have us. You have me. No matter how hard you try to discard me, I won’t leave you. I still love you!”

_Funny you’re the broken one but I’m the only one who needed saving  
‘Cause when you never see the light it’s hard to know which one of us is caving_

He does not expect after all those years, she still loves him. Eyes wide, he finally looks into her glassy emerald eyes. His heart twists in agony when he sees streaks of tears along her pale cheeks. It makes him want to just reach out to her and wipe them away. Why does this foolish, annoying girl have to love a person like him? A monster, a traitor.

They stand there in silence. Neither speaks and it drives her insane. She is waiting for an answer. Any answer. She tilts her head downwards, trying to hide the tears.

“Please. Say something.” Her voice is barely audible, as if she is wishing to herself.

“Sakura.” In a flash, just like that night, he stands behind her, his breath tickles the back of her neck. Her heart aches at the familiar scene, like déjà vu all over again. She knows what is coming next and braces herself.

“Thank you.” His hand swiftly knocks the back of her neck, easily knocking her unconscious.

“No. Sasuke-” He swiftly catches her from falling and slips his arms around her legs and back, carrying her to the very stone bench where he left her that night years ago.

He gently places her on the bench. He takes a moment to look at her and wipe her tears away. He does not know what made him do it. He just feels that he has to. After a minute or two, he begins walking towards the gates.

.

.

“Sasuke-kun!” She jolts upward. She is still swimming in a pool of thoughts. The last thing she remembers is being in Sasuke’s arms as he holds her from falling to the ground.

She runs her hand across her tired face and then realized she is in her apartment, on her bed. She is not sure how she got there. She is still wearing her clothes from yesterday. Her heart aches so much, it is unbearable. It is a familiar feeling. Her hand instinctively goes to her chest. All she wants to do is claw at the pain, to make it go away. She feels helpless, feels broken, feels so empty without him. She desperately wishes that it is all a dream and she will find Sasuke roaming around the village. But she knows better and it is all a reality. He is definitely gone and she couldn’t stop him for the second time.

“Sasuke-kun…” She pulls her knees closer to her chest and hugs them, letting out more tears of agony. Her body shakes terribly, trying to keep itself together. Just then, her head snaps up and her eyes widen in surprise. She can feel a familiar hint of chakra nearby. It is so familiar. Then she recognizes it as Sasuke’s chakra.

She immediately darts outside to her living room and sure enough, there he is, sitting peacefully on her couch. His eyes are slipped shut, his head leans on the headrest and his hand rests on the armrest. She sees his backpack next to the couch. Still thinking she is daydreaming, she rubs her eyes a few times. But he is still there.

“Sasuke-kun?” Upon hearing his name, his eyes flutter open and he tilts his head to meet her before standing up. Her mouth is left hanging as she points to him, speechless. Words do not seem to come out as she stares at him.

What she does not realize is that Sasuke did leave. Sasuke did walk out of those gates and into the woods. As he entered the dark woods, his mind kept wandering to images of Sakura and Team 7. He had to admit that Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi are the only one who accepted him. They were always around him, trying to make him comfortable again. They were always there for him, even if he did not want to. Whether it was Naruto’s annoying loud voice, or Kakashi’s habit of reading one of Jiraiya’s books, or Sakura’s annoying gentle smile, he realized he treasures those moments with them more than he thought.

_The reason I hold on  
'Cause I need this hole gone_

He might not know this, but the hole in his heart was slowly being filled again. He could feel it, he was slowly becoming whole. The only thing that made him doubt was memories of his family. It made him forget about Team 7’s company.

It clouded his vision from seeing the reality that he does have a family, he does have a reason to call Konoha home, and he was going to throw it all away. _Again_.

When he was about a mile away from Konoha, he halted his footsteps to gather his thoughts.

Team 7 always opened their arms for him even after he caused them so much pain and did so many mistakes. He too realized that Sakura’s love was the warmest thing in the world. He had secretly been craving for more. Being around her always made him feel reassured. His stomach always did flip flops and he did not understand why.

Maybe he was making a huge mistake by leaving Konoha. He quickly turned around and ran back towards the village. In a matter of minutes, he arrived at the stone bench with Sakura still lying there.

He scooped her up and took her home. He laid her on her bed, stroking a few strands of hair away and tugging them behind her ear. _She is right_. His mind spoke to him.

Sakura stands there, still shocked that Sasuke is still there but very much delighted that he is. Which means he was the one who carried her home. She can’t describe the happiness she is feeling at that moment. Her heart is beating a hundred beats per minute and she feels like her whole body is going to explode. 

“Sakura.” He says before he takes a few steps towards her, stopping at an arm’s length away. She remains in her spot and searches his face for some sort of explanation.

“I’m sorry.” Somehow those two simple words are the only thing he needs to say because she understands completely, she has always does. His eyes tell her everything. His eyes tells her what his mouth can’t.

Without thinking any further, she swings her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly. Unconsciously, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer, burying his face in her neck.

“Tadaima.” His soft voice speaks to her.

“Okaeri, Sasuke-kun.” She lets herself shed a few drops of tears. Happy tears.

After staying there for a few moments, she pulls away and wipes her tears away. He hooks his hand with hers and stares at her with such tenderness that she rarely sees.

Suddenly, there is an abrupt knock on the door along with an orange-cladded ninja. He swings the door open.

“Oi Sakura-chan! Are we going to train?” It is ten o’clock and she completely forgot that she is supposed to have a training session with Team 7. She nervously gives Naruto a laugh.

“Sorry Naruto I woke up late.” Naruto then averts his attention to Sasuke and the bag a few feet from him.

“And where are you going, Teme?” He raises his eyebrow.

Sasuke’s lips curve into a smirk as his obsidian eyes meet hers. His hands are still joined with hers and he gives her a small squeeze.

“Nowhere." 

_Not really sure how to feel about it.  
Something in the way you move  
Makes me feel like I can’t live without you.  
It takes me all the way.  
I want you to stay,  
I want you to stay_


End file.
